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You might have a great story idea and are ready to get it down on the page, but there is so much more than the actual plot line you need to figure out before the book is complete. With text messaging and spellcheck we might not be fully aware or even remember the basics of the written word.Here are some books that might help. They will refresh your memory on punctuation, grammar and dialogue. 

 

shut up

“Shut UP!” He Explained: A Writer’s Guide to the Uses and Misuses of Dialogue

By: William Noble
“Shut Up!” He Explained (the title comes from a Ring Lardner poke at the way some people overwrite), William Noble shows you how to write dialogue that sounds right and contributes. Fiction or Nonfiction With liberal use of anecdotes and examples, Noble develops six “Master Keys to Dialogue,” each of which is crucial for the fiction or nonfiction writer to understand and use. You’ll learn how to use dialogue to: • create tension • develop your characters • establish setting • move the plot • create flashbacks and transitions.
painless grammar

Painless Grammar

By: Rebecca Elliott
Optimized for use on the KOBO, this very approachable text combines instruction in parts of speech and sentence structure with down-to-earth examples, funny illustrations, and examination of some of the more amusing and peculiar words in the English language. Painless Grammar covers a chapter on clear e-mail communication and etiquette which is brand new in this edition, as are many of the authors challenging Brain Ticklers.
eats shoots and leaves

Eats, Shoots & Leaves

By: Lynne Truss
Anxious about the apostrophe? Confused by the comma? Stumped by the semicolon? Join Lynne Truss on a hilarious tour through the rules of punctuation that is sure to sort the dashes from the hyphens. We all had the basic rules of punctuation drilled into us at school, but punctuation pedants have good reason to suspect they never sank in. 
emotion thesaurus

The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression

By: Angela AckermanBecca Puglisi
One of the biggest problem areas for writers is conveying a character’s emotions to the reader in a unique, compelling way. This book comes to the rescue by highlighting 75 emotions and listing the possible body language cues, thoughts, and visceral responses for each.Using its easy-to-navigate list format, readers can draw inspiration from character cues that range in intensity to match any emotional moment. The Emotion Thesaurus also tackles common emotion-related writing problems and provides methods to overcome them.
conflict and suspense

Elements of Fiction Writing – Conflict and Suspense

By: James Scott Bell
Ramp up the tension and keep your readers hooked! Inside you’ll find everything you need to know to spice up your story, move your plot forward, and keep your readers turning pages. Expert thriller author and writing instructor James Scott Bell shows you how to craft scenes, create characters, and develop storylines that harness conflict and suspense to carry your story from the first word to the last.Learn from examples of successful novels and movies as you transform your work from ho-hum to high-tension.
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